Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Why is Black Friday black? The NATO alphabet. Byeloveyou.

Nov 21, 2023

Explore the origins of idiomatic expressions like 'black sheep' and 'black market'. Discover the evolution of 'black market', 'blacksmiths', and 'pitch black'. Uncover the usefulness of the NATO phonetic alphabet and learn about bizarre alphabetical associations. Share listener stories and shout-outs.

17:02

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Quick takeaways

Black Friday originated as a term used by students in the 17th century to describe any Friday with exams, and later gained significance in 1869 when the gold market crashed, causing panic and financial distress.

'Black sheep' and 'black swan' highlight the notions of rarity and going against expectations, with the former originating from the presence of a literal black sheep among a flock of white sheep and the latter from the discovery of black swans in Australia in the 1600s.

Deep dives

The Origins and Evolution of Black Friday

Black Friday, known for its exciting shopping deals, originated as a term used by students in the 17th century to describe any Friday with exams. It later gained significance in 1869 when the gold market crashed, causing panic and financial distress. The day after Thanksgiving started being called Black Friday when factory workers would call in sick to extend their holiday weekend, causing stress at work. In the 1960s, Philadelphia saw an influx of shoppers, giving rise to the association of Black Friday with shopping. Today, Black Friday has become synonymous with great sales and marks the start of end-of-year profitability for retailers.

Introduction

6min

The Origins and Meanings of 'Black Sheep', 'Black Swan', and 'Black Market'

2min

The Evolution of Black Market, Blacksmiths, Pitch Black, and Black Friday

5min

The Use of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet in Spelling

5min

Bizarre Alphabetical Associations, Listener Stories, and Shout-outs

4min

955. This week, we're looking at the curious origins and histories behind common idioms and expressions that use "black," like "Black Friday," "black sheep," "in-the-black," and more. Then we switch gears to explore what happens when phonetic alphabets go delightfully rogue, like in comedy bits and songs.

The Black Friday segment was written by Julia DiGeronimo, a recent graduate and a freelance writer from Northern New Jersey.

| Jack Parr phonetic alphabet comedy skit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfLaY-R9kaU

| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/black-friday/transcript

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